Railroad-crossing



t e e h s h t e e h S 2 N. 0G m N 1% KB 3 0 D A 0 R -H A -R U (No Model.)

Patented June 17, 1890.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. H. HODSKIN'SON. RAILROAD CROSSING.

No. 430,383. Patented June 17', 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. HODSKINSON, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILROAD-CROSSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,383, dated June 17, 1890.

Application filed March 15, 1890. Serial No. 344,051. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. HODSKINSON, of Salem, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of railroad-tracks at the intersection of one track with another; and it has for its object to enable a car on one track to cross the other track without that disagreeable jolting which is usually experienced.

To this end the invention consists as a whole in a crossing comprising one track the rails of which are continuous, and another track crossing the first-mentioned track and composed of rail-sections the tread-surfaces of which are elevated above the tread-surfaces of the continuous T-rails, said raised tread-surfaces being cut away at each side of each of the continuous rails to permit the unobstructed passage of car-wheels over the said continuous rails, guard-rails beside said cut-away and elevated rails and correspondingly cut away, and blocks or bridges between the cut-away portions of the said rail and guard sections, said blocks or bridges being of the same height as and forming continuations of the tread-surfaces of the 0011- tinuous rails, and arranged so that when a car-wheel is approaching the continuous railtrack the flange of suchwheel will bear upon the bridge or block and ride along the latter and across the adjoining T-rail without being permitted to fall and give the car a jolt or jar, the only jar possible being that experienced by the wheel in passing from the inner side of th e continuous rail onto the rail-section between the continuous rails.

The invention also consists in the construction of the supporting bed or frame on which the crossing-rails rest, and in certain other details, all of which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a crossing embodying my invention, said crossing being composed of continuous T-rails comprising one track, and rail-sections arranged at right angles thereto comprising the other track. Fig. 2

represents a section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents'a similar section showing amodification. Fig. 4: represents a similar section showing a concrete filling between the rails. Fig. 5 represents a view comprising a crosssection of one of the continuous T-rails of one of the tracks and a side elevation of portions of the rail-sections of the intersecting track.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a a represent the rails of one of the tracks, said rails being uninterrupted or without open spaces, excepting such crevices as would naturally occur between the ends of the rails. For convenience of description -I have referred to the rails a a as continuous throughout this specification.

The intersecting track, which crosses the continuous track, is composed of rail-sections Z) b Z) 1) outside of the rails a a, and intermediate rail-sections b 1) between the continuous rails a a. The tread-surfaces of the railsections Z) and b are higher than those of the continuous rails by the depth of the flange of a car-wheel, the arrangement being such that the flange of a car-wheel passing over one of the rails of the intersecting track will be supported by the tread-surfaces of the rails a a in crossing said rails. The tread surfaces of the rail-sections b b are cut away at the ends of said rails, which abut against the continuous rails a to form surfaces 0, which are flush with the tread-surfaces of the continuous rails a, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, said cutaway portions preventing the raised treadsurfaces of the sections 1) from interfering .with the treads of car-wheels passing over the continuous rails a. Beside the cut-away portion of each rail-section bis ablock or bridge d, said blocks being located at the inner side of the rail-sections b, and having their upper surfaces flush with the surfaces 0 of said railsections and with the tread-surfaces of the rails a. The upper surfaces of the blocks d are therefore in position to support the flanges of car-wheels passing over the rail-sections b, so that such Wheels will not drop in passing over the cut-away portions 0, but will be supported by the bearing of their flanges on the blocks 01 until they have crossed the continuous rails (L. hen the car-wheels are passing from the rail a onto the rail-sections b, the tread of each wheel strikes the section b before the flange of'said wheel leaves the rail a, so that the wheel will experience no drop or jolt in crossing the open space between the inner sides of the continuous rails a and the ends of the rail-sections I). Said space is not necessarily any Wider than is required for the passage of the flange of a car-wheel on the rail a.

I have shown guard-rail sections 11 located beside and parallel with the rail-sections b and b, said guard-rail sections being intended to prevent liability of the lateral displacement of car-wheels crossing the continuous rails a a. I do not limit myself to the employment of said guard-rails, however, and may dispense with the same Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

To support the rails of the crossing securely and prevent possibility of their lateral displacement, I provide a supporting frame or bed composed of two foundation beams or stringers 2' 1', arranged parallel with the rails a a and under the rail-sections of the intersecting track, and two cross beams or stringers j j, secured to the beams 2' 2' by angle-plates k k, which are securely bolted to the beams ij. To the beams j j are affixed the short ties or blocks m, which support the rail-sections b and b, and also the guard-rails 17 if the latter are employed. To additionally secure the beams j j, I employ transverse metal rails 0 o, composed of screw-threaded sections connected by turn-bucklesp 19 between the beams jj, the sections of the rod 0 passing through the beams j, and having nuts (1 bearing against the outer sides of the beam. The

turn-buckles enable the rods 0 to be adjusted so as to bring the beams jj to a firm bearing 011 the ends of the metal bars 3 s, which extend across the space between the beams j j, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the support thus constructed enables the crossingrails to be very securely held, the construction as a whole constitutinga strong and durable crossing, in which the wear and tear of rolling-stock caused by the jolting attendant upon the passage of cars over the crossing is reduced to a minimum.

The blocks or bridges d are preferably bolted to the webs of the rail-sections b by means of bolts u, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. IVhen the guard-rails b are employed, said bolts will extend through the surface of both rails, as shown in Fig. 2. In some cases it is desirable to provide a filling 'v of concrete between the rails b and W, as shown in Fig. &.

It is obvious that the same principles may be carried out in a crossing in which one of the tracks is adapted for steam-car purposes, its rails being of the ordinary T form, and the other for street-car purposes, its rails being constructed for use in streets used for other purposes.

1. The combination of the continuous rails a, the rail-sections Z) and b constituting the intersecting track, said sections having their tread-surfaces cut away, as described, the

guard-rails 11 located at the inner sides of the rail-sections b and b, and the blocks or bridges d, located between the sections 17 and b and having their upper surfaces flush with the tread-surfaces of the continuous rails a.

2. The combination, with the intersecting rails of a railroad-crossing, of the parallel beams j j, located under and supporting the rails of one of the tracks,tl1e foundation-beams 'i 2', supporting the beams jj, and arranged at right angles thereto, angle-irons connecting the beams 71 j, the adjustable rods 0 0, connecting one beam j with another, and the bars 3 s, interposed between the beams j j, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, .this 5th day of March, A. D. 1890.

JOHN H. HODSKINSON.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON. 

